With the advent of vacuum dryers to remove moisture from portable electronics in the mobile device industry, it is common practice to first triage a portable electronic device rendered inoperable after unintended water intrusion.
Smart device manufacturers, in an attempt to fabricate the smart device to be water resistant, have utilized various design and manufacturing techniques to minimize if not eliminate water intrusion. These techniques include various types of cordless charging thus minimizing the electrical connections on the smart devices. Still other techniques used are very high bond (VHB) adhesives which are used to adhere the displays and screens to the body of the smart device. These techniques have been very effective in that they adhere to the IPC67 standards for water resistance.
Even though the smart devices have been designed and fabricated to be water resistant, consumers, on a daily basis, still have unintended water intrusion via toilets, washing machines, water activities, and the like. Some devices have been designed to interrupt the charging port therefore not allowing a user to charge the device post water intrusion. If the smart device has a low battery charge, the user must seek a drying service to remove the water or face electrical damage to the smart device once the water in the charging port has effectively evaporated.
Because the smart device is so well sealed, when the device is subjected to gentle heat and increased vacuum pressure in a drying chamber, the air which is sealed in the smart device has a greater pressure than the vacuum chamber and is effectively evacuated. This evacuation eventually stabilizes, leaving the inside of the smart device under a negative pressure. When the vacuum drying process stops and atmospheric pressure is re-introduced to the vacuum chamber, the smart device screen, being under extreme negative pressure, collapses inward, effectively compressing the smart device. This compression has a negative consequence on the delicate display often fabricated from OLED technology and thin walled glass.